KABUL (SW) – Pakistan has significantly raised tariffs on Afghan agricultural exports in recent days, just as Afghanistan enters its peak season for fresh produce.
Officials from the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) report that Pakistan’s tariff hikes pose a significant challenge to Afghan traders.
Najibullah Safi, head of the chamber, emphasized the critical impact on Afghan commerce, stating, “This poses a major challenge for our traders and our products. If our products don’t export, they perish.”
Meanwhile, Afghan officials in Islamabad claim that Pakistan has blocked around 300 trucks carrying fresh fruits and vegetables from entering the country in recent days. Mansour Khaliqyar, economic affairs officer at the Afghan Embassy, explained that these trucks lacked temporary entry permits issued before the deadline of July 1st.
“In a meeting between Afghan Embassy representatives and the head of foreign trade at Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce, due to issues faced by nearly 300 trucks carrying Afghan fresh fruits and vegetables at Spin Buldak, Torkham, and Kharlachi crossings due to the lack of temporary acceptance documents, the Afghan Embassy requested Pakistan to allow clearance for Afghan trucks,” Khaliqyar told Salam Watandar.
The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad continues to press for tax exemptions on Afghan fruits and vegetables in discussions with Pakistani authorities.
Some Afghan traders complain that the closure of Pakistan’s border crossings has resulted in their perishable goods spoiling in the hot weather.
Ghani Gul, a truck driver carrying Afghan goods, lamented, “We reached Torkham, and had loaded our goods (tomatoes); 900,000 to 1 million Afghanis worth. When we arrived, they had closed the border. The weather is very hot; surely these goods will spoil, and we will suffer.”
Another driver, Mohammad, added, “They closed the road; we had brought tomatoes; in this heat, vegetables and fruits spoil. What should we do? They should resolve this problem; what should people do?”
In recent months, Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to allow commercial cargo trucks to cross their borders with temporary documents instead of passports and visas. Following discussions between officials of both countries, permission was granted unexpectedly late on Friday, for Afghan commercial trucks halted at shared border crossings to enter Pakistan.
